Massachusetts § 49 Commitment of witnesses; discharge upon recognizance

Massachusetts Statutes

§ 49 — Commitment of witnesses; discharge upon recognizance

Massachusetts § 49

Part IVCRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES

Title IIPROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES

Ch. 276SEARCH WARRANTS, REWARDS, FUGITIVES FROM JUSTICE, ARREST, EXAMINATION, COMMITMENT AND BAIL. PROBATION OFFICERS AND BOARD OF PROBATION

This text of Massachusetts § 49 (Commitment of witnesses; discharge upon recognizance) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276, § 49 (2026).

Text

Section 49. A witness who, when required, refuses to recognize, either with or without sureties, shall, except as provided in the following section, be committed to jail until he complies with such order or is otherwise discharged; but if the court or justice finds that the witness, unless he is the prosecutor or an accomplice, is unable to procure sureties when so ordered, he shall, except in cases of felony, be discharged upon his own recognizance. Upon a complaint or indictment for a felony, against a defendant not in custody, a material witness committed for failure to furnish sureties upon his own recognizance may be held in custody for a reasonable time, pending the pursuit and apprehension of the defendant.

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Section 49. A witness who, when required, refuses to recognize, either with or without sureties, shall, except as provided in the following section, be committed to jail until he complies with such order or is otherwise discharged; but if the court or justice finds that the witness, unless he is the prosecutor or an accomplice, is unable to procure sureties when so ordered, he shall, except in cases of felony, be discharged upon his own recognizance. Upon a complaint or indictment for a felony, against a defendant not in custody, a material witness committed for failure to furnish sureties upon his own recognizance may be held in custody for a reasonable time, pending the pursuit and apprehension of the defendant.

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Massachusetts § 49, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/ma/276/49.